JPH0798411B2 - Serial printer printing carrier control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a serial printer having a print data edit control unit and a print carriage drive control unit, and more particularly to a print carriage control system.

[Conventional technology]

An example of a conventional serial printer printing carriage control method of this type will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, 301 is a line data reception buffer unit, 302 is line print data, 304 is a print data edit control unit for editing print data from the line, 305 is a line unit print data buffer, 306 is a print head drive control unit, and 309 is A print carrier drive control unit for driving and controlling the print carrier, 310 is a motor drive unit, and 311 is a print carrier drive motor.
Reference numeral 307 denotes a status signal of the print carriage drive control unit 309, and 308 denotes a control signal from the print data edit control unit 304 to the print carriage drive control unit 309.

In the print carriage control method configured as described above, the data processed by the print data edit control unit 304 is stored in the print data buffer 305 for each print line as one print block. Then, the print data edit control unit 304 transfers a command corresponding to the print data to the print carriage drive control unit 309. The print carriage drive control unit 309 controls acceleration operation and constant speed operation in order to move the print carriage to the print start and print stop positions according to the command.

The operation of the serial printer print carriage control system shown in FIG. 3 will be described below with reference to FIG.

First, the print pattern 201 of an arbitrary line shown in FIG.
Regarding the data editing process of the print data edit control unit 304, the print start point 204 and the print end point 205 are calculated, and the standard method of these two points is instructed to the print carriage drive control unit 309. Then, the print carriage drive control unit 309 executes carriage movement from the print carriage starting point 203 to the print carriage stop point 206 according to the speed control of the print carriage speed graph 202. In addition, 207 shows the acceleration period of the print pattern 201 of an arbitrary line, 208 shows a constant speed period (printing period), and 209 shows a deceleration period.

Next, after executing the movement of the print carriage, the print data edit control unit 304 performs the print data edit processing on the print pattern 210 of the next line shown in FIG. 2B to perform the print shown in FIG. 2C. A start point 218 and a print end point 217 are calculated, and a command is given to the print carriage drive control unit 309.

However, the print pattern of an arbitrary line shown in FIG. 2 (a)
Since the print carriage stop position in 201 is the print carriage stop point 206 (212), the print carriage drive control unit 309 causes the print carriage start position to be the print carriage start position of the print pattern 210 of the next line shown in FIG. 2B. Move the print carriage to the starting point 213 (219). The movement control is a low speed as shown by the speed in the print carriage speed graph 211 in FIG. 2 (b). Then, from the print carrier stop point 212 to the print carrier start point 2
After the printing carriage has moved to position 13, the movement direction is reversed after a stop operation. After the procedure up to this point is completed, the print pattern 210 of the next line is printed by the speed control shown in the print carriage speed graph 215 of FIG. 2 (c). Incidentally, 214 indicates a period up to the print start point of the print pattern 210 of the next line, 216 is a print carriage stop point, 219 is a print carriage start point, 220 is a deceleration period,
Reference numeral 221 indicates a constant speed period (printing period), and 222 indicates an acceleration period.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-described conventional serial printer print carriage control method, much time is spent for the print carriage movement processing for printing. Therefore, there is a problem that the processing speed of the entire serial printer cannot be improved.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The serial printer printing carriage control method of the present invention is
In a serial printer having a print data edit control unit and a print carriage drive control unit, the print data edit control unit has a print carriage start position, a print start position, a print end position of the desired line, and a print carriage start position of the next line. Is calculated, and the calculated start position of the print carriage of the next line is set as the print carriage stop position of any line,
The print carriage drive control unit has a function to give a control command, and the print carriage drive control unit receives the control command from the print data edit control unit, and the movement distance is defined after the constant speed period, which is the print period, ends. If there is more than the acceleration distance, the print carriage is provided with a function of accelerating and decelerating the print carriage at high speed up to the print carriage stop position.

[Action]

Therefore, according to the present invention, the print data edit control unit and the print carriage drive control unit perform independent processing,
If the moving distance exceeds the specified acceleration distance after the constant speed period, which is the printing period, the print carriage is accelerated and decelerated at high speed to the print carriage stop position, and the print carriage stop position of any line and the next line The print carriage start start position matches.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 3, which is a block diagram for explaining the serial printer printing carriage control system of the present invention, 312 is 2
Alternatively, the print data buffer of the next line that enables the edit processing up to three lines is used for print data processing in the print data edit control unit 304. The print data edit control unit 304 has means for calculating the print carriage activation start position and stop position of any line of the continuous line print data 302, and the print carriage drive control unit 30.
9 is a control command of the print data edit control unit 304, which is added to the one that executes the print carriage movement control in the same manner as the conventional one,
Except for the constant speed period which is the printing period, when the moving distance is equal to or longer than the specified acceleration distance, the printing carriage has a means for accelerating and decelerating at high speed.

Further, the present invention is provided with means for matching the print carriage operation stop position of an arbitrary print line with the print carriage start start position of the next line.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of a serial printer print carriage control system according to the present invention, and shows a relationship between a print pattern and operations in acceleration / deceleration operation and constant speed carriage operation.

Now, in continuous print data, an arbitrary print line shown in FIG. 1A, that is, a print pattern of an arbitrary line is set.
101, 110 is the print pattern of the next line to be printed next shown in FIG. 1 (b). When the print pattern 101 is executed, the print carriage start point (print carriage start start position) of the print pattern 101 is 103, the print start point (print start position) is 104, and the print end point (print end position).
Is 105, and the print carriage start point (print carriage start position) 115 for starting printing of the print pattern 110 of the next line is the print carriage stop point (print carriage stop position) of the print pattern 101 of this arbitrary line. ) 106, the print data edit control unit 304 calculates in the data edit unit and gives a control command to the print carriage drive control unit 309.

The print carriage drive control unit 309 that has received this control command
Performs the speed control of the moving period 109 until the print carriage stop point 106, that is, the print carriage start point 115 of the next line after the constant speed period 108 which is the print period ends.
In the movement period 109, when the movement distance is equal to or longer than the specified acceleration distance, the print carriage is accelerated and decelerated at high speed up to the print carriage stop point 106, and the stop time of the print carriage is shortened.

Next, the print pattern 110 of the next line is printed by the speed control of the print carriage speed graph 111.

In such a continuous print pattern 101, 110, the print data edit control unit 304 controls the optimum carriage drive by instructing the print carriage start control position and the stop position corresponding to the print data buffer of each print line to the print carriage drive control unit 309. Run.

That is, according to the present embodiment, since the print carriage stop position of the print pattern 101 and the print carriage start start position of the print pattern 110 match, the print pattern 11
When printing 0, it is not necessary to move the print carriage to the print carriage activation start position of the print pattern 110,
The print data processing time is shortened.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the print data edit control unit
By performing the independent processing as described above between the 304 and the print carriage drive control unit 309, it becomes possible to reduce the print data processing time and the print carriage stop time.
The processing performance of the serial printer will be improved.

Note that 102 indicates a print carriage speed graph of the print pattern 101 of an arbitrary line, and 107 indicates a print pattern 101 of the arbitrary line.
Acceleration period, 112 is a print carriage stop point of the print pattern 110 of the next line, 113 is a print end point, 114 is a print start point, 116 is a deceleration period, 117 is a constant speed period (printing period), 118
Indicates the acceleration period.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in the serial printer print carriage control, the print data edit control unit and the print carriage drive control unit perform independent processing, and after the constant speed period which is the print period ends, the movement distance is changed. If the specified acceleration distance or more exists, the print carriage is accelerated and decelerated at high speed up to the print carriage stop position, and the print carriage stop position of any line and the print carriage start start position of the next line match. It is possible to shorten the processing time and the stop time of the print carriage, and the processing performance of the serial printer is improved.

In addition, the start / stop operation of the print carriage for executing printing is reduced, which has an effect of reducing mechanical vibration and an effect of extending the life of the parts of the print carriage driving unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of a serial printer print carriage control system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of a print carriage in a conventional serial printer print carriage control system, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a conventional serial printer printing carriage control method. 101 …… Arbitrary line print pattern, 102 …… 101 print carriage speed graph, 103 …… 101 print carriage start point, 104 …… 101 print start point, 105 …… 101 print end point, 106… … 101 printing carriage stop, 107…
… 101 acceleration period, 108 …… 101 constant speed period, 109 …… 101
Print the next line of the movement period to the carriage start point, 110
...... 101 next line print pattern, 111 …… 110 print carriage speed graph, 112 …… 110 print carriage stop point, 113 …… 110 print end point, 114 …… 110 print start point, 115… … 110 printing carrier start point, 116 …… 1
10 deceleration period, 117 …… 110 constant speed period, 118 …… 110 acceleration period, 304 …… Print data edit control unit, 309 …… Print carriage drive control unit, 312 …… Print data buffer for the next line.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takahiro Suzuki Shimodama 4-2 Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture Shizuoka NEC Corporation (72) Inventor Hiroshi Okubo 3-20-4 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo NEC Ki Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinichi Hori 5-33-1 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside NEC Corporation (56) Reference JP-A-58-108182 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A serial printer having a print data edit control unit and a print carriage drive control unit, wherein the print data edit control unit includes a print carriage start start position, a print start position, a print end position and a next line of an arbitrary line. The print carriage activation start position of is calculated, the calculated print carriage activation start position of the next line is set as the print carriage stop position of the arbitrary line, a control command is given to the print carriage drive control unit, and the control command is received. The print carriage drive control unit drives the print carriage at high speed to the print carriage stop position at high speed after the constant speed period, which is the print period, is ended and the moving distance exceeds the specified acceleration distance. And serial printer print carriage control method.